The Magic of the Wand
by One Broken Dream
Summary: There's a new girl at Hogwarts! She is the descendant of THE Harry Potter. HP and Voldemort are long gone, but strange events have started happening at Hogwarts once again-and they're centered on the new girl! What's a girl to do?
1. Chapter 1: Saying Goodbye

AN: Huzzah! My first story! Be nice, this is my first time! xD

Note: I don't own any part related to Harry Potter! Don't bug me about it! xD LOL

Now…to get on with the story!

Chapter 1: Saying Good-bye's

A girl with bright red hair stood in front of the train at Platform 9 ¾. She stood there, exasperated, as her mother fussed over her clothes.

"Mom," she said. "Stop that. I can take care of myself. I _am_ 11, aren't I?"

Her mother wiped away tears that had gathered at the corner of her eyes. "Of course you are, Bryanna. I'm just worried that I might never see you again. After all, although the days of the famous Harry Potter and the Dark Lord are gone, I worry that you might get into some kind of...accident...and die."

Bryanna Parkenson stared at her. "Mom, nothings going to happen. I promise with all my heart, I'll try not to get myself killed."

The trained whistle gave a sharp call suddenly. The two looked at the big clock and saw that it was almost time for Bryanna to board the train.

"Are you going to come home for Winter Break?" Anne asked.

Bryanna thought for a minute. The chance to get away from school, whether it was for magic or no, was tempting. But then, she might meet all new friends at Hogwarts. It was a possibility she couldn't ignore. "I'll send you a letter with Wood" her owl "beforehand to let you know," Bryanna promised.

"Can't decide?" Anne guessed. "I've heard that Hogwarts is a really nice place, although winters aren't very nice there, being how it's so far north."

She shrugged. "We've got a winter coat to protect us, and we could bring a scarf or two to keep us warm. I can also use those mittens that you knit me for my birthday."

Bryanna gave her mother a hug and rushed onto the train. She found an empty compartment and stuck her slightly heavy suitcase inside and hauled it onto the racks. The whistle sounded again, signaling that it was time to leave. She saw thousands of students climbing onto the train and waving goodbye to their parents.

Bryanna sat down on the cushions with a sigh and pulled out a piece of paper from her jacket. The paper had a list of things she was required to have:

HOGWARTS SCHOOL

_of_ WITCHCRAFT _and_ WIZARDRY

UNIFORM

First-year students will require:

Three sets of plain work robes (black)

One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear

One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)

One winter cloak (black, silver fastenings)

Please note that all pupils' clothes should carry name tags

COURSE BOOKS

All students should have a copy of each of the following:

_The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1) _by Miranda Goshawk

_A History of Magic_ by Bathilda Bagshot

_Magical Theory_ by Adalbert Waffling

_A Beginners' Guide to Transfiguration_ by Emeric Switch

_One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi _by Phyllida Spore

_Magical Drafts and Potions_ by Arsenius Jigger

_Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them _by Newt Scamander

_The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection _by Quentin Trimble

OTHER EQUIPTENT

1 wand

1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)

1 set glass or crystal phials

1 telescope

1 set brass scales

Students may also bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad

PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS

ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS

She wondered how it felt to ride a broomstick. 'And how do you ride on, anyways?' she wondered. 'Don't they just stay flat on the ground? But then, this is a magic school I'm going to. Anything is possible, right?' Right.

An: I know this is a little short. Sorry about that! When I typed this out of Microsoft Word, it was a little long. Can you believe that? Anyways, please review! I'd like to know how I'm doing for the first time! Thank you!

The lovely review button is right down there!

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	2. Chapter 2: Memories

AN: Hello again

AN: Hello again! So…how am I doing? (By the way, Flashbacks are entirely in italics so that you can tell the difference when I switch back to the present.)

Now…to get on with the show!

Chapter 2: Memories

Bryanna checked her suitcase, making sure everything was inside. Finally satisfied that everything was in place, she sat with a small plop and stared out the window, where the sky was crying its heart out. Since nobody was sharing the compartment with her, she sat and thought about when she had gone to Diagon Alley.

Flashback:

_"Wow!" Bryanna stood in front of the Gringotts Bank. "It's huge!" she exclaimed._

_The witch standing next to her laughed. "Yes, it's huge. Of course it would be," she told Bryanna. "It has millions of vaults stored inside. Why would it be small?" They walked up the white stone steps and passed a goblin, which was only half a head shorter than Bryanna. He (She? It?) bowed them through the first door, which was a bronze color._

_They came to a second pair of doors, this time silver, and it had words engraved upon them:_

_Enter, stranger, but take heed_

_Of what awaits the sin of greed,_

_For those who take, but do not earn,_

_Must pay most dearly in their turn._

_So if you seek beneath our floors_

_A treasure that was never yours,_

_Thief, you have been warned, beware_

_Of finding more than treasure there._

_Bryanna stared hard at those words. "Seriously? There's something guarding the treasure and the money and all the stuff in there?"_

_The witch, who was actually her mother, nodded, all seriousness this time. "There are rumors that they have dragons scattered around the vaults. Like they say, you'd be mad to try and rob Gringotts."_

_Bryanna nodded, taking in the words. 'I hope I never have to steal anything then,' she thought to herself. The two walked through the silver doors as a pair of goblins bowed to them._

_They stepped into a large marble hall. Everywhere, goblins sat on high stools behind a long counter, weighing coins in scales, examining stones in eyeglasses, scribbling away on pieces of parchment. Thousands of doors led of to an unknown somewhere, and yet more goblins were showing people in and out of these very doors. Bryanna and her mom made for the counter and a free goblin._

_The goblin looked up as Bryanna and her mom walked toward him. He raised an eyebrow and calmly looked at Bryanna, making her nervous._

_Bryanna's mom cleared her throat. "We would like to take some money out of Bryanna Parkenson's vault, please."_

_"Do you have the key, ma'am?"_

_"Yes. Give me a moment." Bryanna's mom reached into her bag and started piling out stuff onto the goblin's desk. He wrinkled his nose at the sight of a Diet Pepsi bottle, but didn't say anything. Bryanna watched in amazement as the pile on the desk grew bigger and bigger as her mother took out stuff that would never have fit into a normal bag, like a candelabra and a gigantic teapot that was puffing out smoke._

_Bryanna's mom saw her stare at the pot. "I need to take this to the Ministry of Magic tomorrow. Your father and I think somebody put a hoax on it before it was sold."_

_"Oh." That was all Bryanna could say as her mother finally pulled out a miniature key the size of her pinky._

_The goblin examined the key under his eyeglass and handed it back to Bryanna's mom. "That seems to be in order," he said. "Now let's get you an escort. Waulsher!"_

_Another goblin suddenly appeared out of nowhere next to Bryanna, who jumped. "Yes?" the goblin asked._

_"Take these two down to Mrs. Parkenson's vault, please."_

_"Very well," the goblin, which Bryanna presumed to be Waulsher, said. "Follow me please, madams." Waulsher led them to one of the doors that led out of the hall and opened it._

_Bryanna looked in and was surprised. She had expected more marble in the next room, but it was actually a narrow stone passageway lit with flaming torches. On the floor, there were little railroad tracks._

_Waulsher whistled and a cart came rolling into view. They all got in and were soon zooming through the tunnels. They zoomed through an underwater lake once and Bryanna saw thousands of stalagmites and stalactites everywhere. "Hey Mom!" she yelled over the noise of the wheels._

_"Yeah?"_

_"I never really understood what the difference between a stalagmite and a stalactite was."_

_"One grows from the roof downwards and the other grows from the floor up!" her mother replied. "Don't talk to me. I hate these damn carts."_

_Bryanna shut up and enjoyed the rest of the ride until they finally stopped._

_Bryanna's mother scrambled out of the cart almost before they even came to a complete stop. "Finally!" she said with a sigh._

_Bryanna laughed. "Oh, come on! It wasn't that bad."_

_"Whatever," her mom said, raising her hands in defeat._

_Waulsher looked at them. "Stand back," he instructed and inserted Bryanna's key into a miniature hole in the vault door._

_The door opened and a bunch of golden smoke came billowing out. When the smoke cleared, Bryanna gasped. Inside were mounds of Galleons, Sickles, and Knuts._

_Bryanna's mom smiled. "All yours," she said._

_"You mean you guys have been feeding me and such and all this time, I've got a fortune in wizard coins stashed under London??"_

_"That's right."  
Bryanna stared at the coins inside the vault. Her vault. The vault she never knew about until her first trip to Diagon Alley. "How did I get all this?" she asked, still gaping at the coins._

_"Hm…well, most of it was from Grandma and Grandpa as a present for when you attended Hogwarts. Then there's the money we put in to start your account. Oh, and your witch and wizard relatives all donated some so that you'd have enough for all your years in school."_

_Bryanna was a little dazed. "And this is all mine? Seriously? No joke?"_

_"No joke."_

_They put money into Bryanna's money pouch, which she had to rid of Muggle money first._

_When they were done, the goblin drove them back to the hall with the long counter and they exited Gringotts. Bryanna's head was spinning. She had a lot of money and she couldn't wait to go find what she needed._

(End Flashback)

AN: OMG! This one is pretty long! xD Sorry about that! Review, please?

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	3. Chapter 3: Her Ancestor's Name

Chapter 3: Her Famous Ancestor's Name

_**Chapter 3: Her Famous Ancestor's Name**_

Bryanna was still daydreaming away when she heard a knock on the door. She ignored it and heard another knock. There was murmuring going on outside, and she had no idea why. 'Why won't people leave me alone?' she thought to herself.

The door suddenly opened with a snap and there were screams of delight. Bryanna turned around and saw to her amusement a crowd of…people… standing outside. "Oh great," she said. "Now what?"

A girl was pushed forward out of the crowd, her eyes shining with interest. "Are you her?" she asked excitedly.

"Who?" Bryanna asked, confused.

The girl stuck her tongue out, obviously disappointed. She turned back to the audience waiting outside and said, "See? How can she be her when she doesn't even know who it is?"

A guy stepped out from among the crowd. "Well, obviously she wasn't told." Turning back to Bryanna, he said, "Hello, my name is Jason Burtelli. May we know what yours is?"

Bryanna, now completely confused, said, "Bryanna. Bryanna Parkenson."

A gasp came from the people outside. Jason punched the air. "See? I told you so!"

The girl pouted. "How was I supposed to know she was a first-year?" she said.

"You should have known since we didn't see her last year!"

The girl ignored the last sentence and turned back to Bryanna, who had decided by that time that somebody had to tell her what was going on.

"Um…do you know who you are? Your past?" she asked. "Who your ancestors were?"

Bryanna stared. "What do you mean?"

The girl, whose name Bryanna still didn't know, sighed. "I knew it. You've no clue? You've no clue that your, um, what was it again? I think it was great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great grandfather was the famous Harry Potter. Didn't you know?"

Bryanna's head started to spin. Her great, great great-she didn't know how many greats'-grandfather was _the_ Harry Potter? They couldn't be serious. She suddenly thought back to when she was nine and she had asked her mother if there were any famous people in their family. Her mother had paused, her hands still doing the dishes…

Flashback:

"_Bryanna, why do you want to know?" she had asked._

"_Ashley said that her grandmother is a famous artist. I asked who it was and she said that it was Rosa Bonheur. _(AN: This is a real person! Look her up!)_ She asked me if any of my ancestors were famous and I told her that I didn't know. Then she told me to ask you." Bryanna said._

_Her mother sighed. "Yes, one of your ancestors is well known. Your great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great grandfather, in fact. He rid of the world a very bad wizard. It was during the Dark Ages, in fact, that the two of them had a duel at Hogwarts in his seventh year and your great-grandfather won."_

_Bryanna's eyes lit up. "What was his name?" she asked. "Can I tell Ashley about him?"_

_Bryanna's mother shook her head. "I won't tell you his name just yet, Bryanna. And even if you told your little friend, she won't believe you."_

"_Why won't she?"_

"_Because although we know that there are wizards and witches in this world, Muggles don't." Bryanna nodded. "We want to keep it a secret from them as much as possible. Those who find out we erase their memory so they don't realize we exist. And if you told Ashley, she might think your crazy anyways."_

"_So what do I tell her then?"_

"_Tell her that your great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great grandfather was a really famous person, but I wouldn't tell you his name."_

End Flashback.

Bryanna gulped. Oh. So that's what his name was. She should have figured it out. Harry Potter.

And that would also explain why Mr. Ollivander had acted so strangely…


	4. Chapter 4: The Wand

AN: I'm sorry everyone, but I've got a looot of flashbacks in the first few chapters

AN: I'm sorry everyone, but I've got a looot of flashbacks in the first few chapters. xD sorry about that! Once I get to Hogwarts, it won't be so bad. I hope. Oh, and this entire chapter is about when she gets her school stuff, wand, etc., so I'm not gonna bother putting italics. Remember, the entire thing is a flashback!

Chapter 4: The Wand

Bryanna skipped down the streets of Diagon Alley. Her money pouch jingled around her waist. Her mother walked behind her, laughing silently at how happy her daughter seemed to be. Bryanna's blue-green eyes were shining with excitement. She stopped skipping outside Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. Her mother finally caught up with her, consulting her list of supplies. "You'll be needing three robes, plain black, mind. I'm going to Flourish and Blotts to get your textbooks, alright?"

Bryanna nodded and walked into the shop alone. She looked around and noticed a squat woman dressed in all mauve.

"Hogwarts, dear?" she asked before Bryanna could open her mouth. She nodded. "I've got the lot here now—why, there's a young man being fitted right now. I'm Madam Malkin, by the way." Madam Malkin led Bryanna out back, where a boy was standing on a footstool while another witch was pinning up his long black robes.

Madam Malkin stood Bryanna next to the boy and slipped a long robe over her head, then started pinning it to the right length.

"Hullo," the boy said. "Going to Hogwarts too?"

"Yeah."

He looked her over. "Are you going to be a first year? You look pretty young."

Bryanna nodded.

"Play Quidditch?"

Bryanna shook her head. "We live in the city so it's harder to be on a broom," she said with a smile. "Besides, my mother's afraid I'll fall off and break my head."  
The boy laughed. Bryanna found that she liked his laugh. It was like the bells of heaven. Or, at least what she thought the bells of heaven sounded like.

"I live in the countryside, so me and my brothers play for practice. I have five brothers, so it evens out. Do you know the rules of Quidditch?"

Bryanna nodded. "But don't you need, um, seven players on each team?" she asked.

"Well, yeah, but my mom and dad don't play, and my younger sister is too scared to even go on the broom. She's afraid that she'll fall and break a bone, like your mom is."

Bryanna laughed. "I suppose we're in the same boat," she said.

"I suppose so."

They stood in silence for a while as their robes were pinned.

"So what year are you in," Bryanna asked.

"Second. We're not the youngest, and we aren't the oldest either. We're just somewhere in the middle."

"What house are you in?"

"Gryffindor. My entire family is. We're not sure about my little sister, Ginny, yet. She's starting, let's see, in two years, I think."

"Really."

"Yeah. It's amazing, huh? Yeah, my mother says that my great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great grandfather did too. His name was Ron, Ronald Weasley."

That was when Bryanna took a good look at him. The boy had bright red hair, freckles that spread from cheek to cheek, and was extremely tall.

"Are you one of the Weasleys'?" Bryanna asked.

He grinned. "Yes. My name Jeffrey Weasley, but my family just calls my Jeff. Just like Grandpa Ron." (AN: I'm not gonna type great x11 every time, so I'm doing Grandpa, ok? xD) He looked at her. "What about you? Got any brothers or sisters?"

"Nope. I'm an only child."

"What house were your parents in?"

"Um, well, my father was in Gryffindor and my mother was in Ravenclaw."

"Oh." He looked at her closely. "What's your surname? You look familiar…"

At that moment, Madam Malkin looked up and tapped Bryanna on the shoulder. "That's you done, my dear," she said. Bryanna hopped down from the footstool, almost falling flat on her face; her legs had frozen while she had been talking to Jeff.

He looked down. "You alright there?" he asked, amused.

She stuck her tongue out at him and said, "I guess I'll see you at Hogwarts, then."

"Yeah. Bye!" he said.

"Bye!" she replied and paid for her robes, then went outside and blinked rapidly. Her eyes had adjusted to the light inside Madam Malkin's shop, but it was pure, bright sunlight outside. She waited for the dark spots to disappear, then walked to Flourish and Blotts to find her mother. She passed the Apothecary and stopped to get her potion ingredients. She found her mother outside Flourish and Blotts, waiting, her hands carrying her books.

"What's that?" she asked, pointing at the Bryanna's hand that was holding her potion ingredients.

"My potion stuff. What now?"

Bryanna's mom dragged her away from a solid gold cauldron ("It says pewter, Bryanna," her mother had said.) but they found a nice scale for weighing her potion ingredients and a collapsible telescope. Armed with her purchases, Bryanna's mother began putting them inside her purse. Bryanna peeked in one time to see how everything fit, but all she saw was a normal purse, with a cell phone, check book, wallet, everything. She stared at her mother. "How do you find stuff?" she asked, bewildered.

Her mother just smiled and said, "It's a secret!"

Bryanna and her mother passed Eeylops Owl Emporium, where Bryanna's mother took her in to get an owl. They came out a few minutes later, Bryanna carrying a large cage that held a beautiful snowy owl, fast asleep with her head tucked under her wing. She couldn't stop stammering her thanks to her mother, who laughed and told her to consider it a going away present when she went to Hogwarts.

"Only, you're getting it early," she said.

They finally came to Ollivanders, the wand shop. Bryanna had been waiting for this moment since she had first stepped into Diagon Alley. A magic wand…it was what she wanted.

The shop was narrow and shabby. A sign on top of the door read Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 **B.C.** in peeling gold letters. A wand lay on a faded purple cushion in the dusty window.

They stepped inside and a tinkling bell rang somewhere from within the shop. The place was small, except for a single, spindly chair that Bryanna's mom sat in while they waited for Mr. Ollivander. Bryanna swallowed. The place had an eerie silence, and she just wanted to run outside, away from the shop. Instead, she stayed standing and looked at the rows of boxes piled neatly right up to the ceiling. The entire shop seemed to be tingling with ancient magic.

"Good afternoon," a voice said softly. Bryanna jumped and turned to find an old man standing in front of her, his wide, pale eyes shining like moons in the gloomy shop.

"Um, hi," Bryanna said nervously. "Might you be Mr. Ollivander?"

"Yes, I am. Thought I might be seeing you here this year, Ms. Parkenson," Mr. Ollivander said. "Well! You sure do have your father's eyes. It seems like just yesterday when he was in here himself, buying a wand. Beechwood and dragon heartstring, eleven inches long, pliable, a powerful wand and excellent for transfiguration."

He moved closer, examining something under her bangs. She nervously flattened them and nearly stepped back a step. She knew what was under her bangs, and she didn't want people to see it. That was why she had her bangs down all the time.

Mr. Ollivander continued. "On the other hand, your mother favored a mahogany and unicorn hair wand. Ten and a quarter inches. Swishy. A nice wand for charm work. Well, I do say she favored it" he bowed to Bryanna's mother. "But it's the wand that chooses the wizard, of course."

Mr. Ollivander came so close that she really did step back a step. "And what's this?" he asked. "A scar, in the same place as…" He looked at Bryanna's mother questioningly. She nodded, as if they were sharing some mind words that only they could hear. "Well!" he said. "That explains it. Well, now—Ms. Parkenson. Let's see." He pulled a long tape measure with silver markings from his pocket. "Which is your wand arm?"

"Well, I'm right-handed," said Bryanna.

"Then hold our your arm. That's it." he measure Bryanna from shoulder to finger, then wrist to elbow, shoulder to foot, knee to armpit, and around his head. While he measured, he said, "Every Ollivander wand has a core of powerful magical substance, Ms. Parkenson, as you know." Bryanna nodded her head. Her mother had explained this before they had come to Diagon Alley. "We use unicorn hairs, phoenix tail feathers, and the heartstrings of dragons. No two Ollivander wands are the same, just as no two unicorns, dragons, or phoenixes are quite the same. And of course, you won't get as great results using another wizard's wand."

Bryanna was watching the tape, which was measuring her everywhere by itself. Mr. Ollivander was walking around the aisles of boxes, taking some down and putting some back.

"That'll do," he said to the measuring tape, which crumpled in a heap on the floor. "Right, then. Now Ms. Parkenson. Try this one. Beechwood and unicorn hair. Nine inches. Nice and flexible. Just take it and wave."

Bryanna took the wand and, feeling foolish, waved it around a bit, but Mr. Ollivander snatched it out almost at once.

"Ebony and phoenix feather, eight and a half inches, springy. Go on, try again."

Bryanna had just barely raised the wand before Mr. Ollivander snatched it out again.

"No, no—here, holly and dragon heartstring, twelve inches, swishy."

Bryanna took the wand, but Mr. Ollivander took that one almost at once. She tried wand after wand. She knew what he was looking for, and she wanted to know what type of wand she would get too. It seemed like none of the wands here were right for her. The pile of used wands was getting higher and higher on the counter, but the more wands the happier Mr. Ollivander seemed to get.

"Tricky customer, eh? Don't worry, we'll find your match somewhere in the store—I wonder—well, why not—maple and phoenix feather, ten inches, nice and supple."

Bryanna, expecting to feel disappointed again, took the wand and was surprised. Sudden warmth spread from her fingers to the rest of her body, warming her up. She raised the wand and brought it swishing down through the air and a stream of red and gold sparks shot from the end like a firework of one color. Suddenly, a second stream of light purple sparks erupted, throwing dancing spots of light on the walls.

Mr. Ollivander cried, "Oh, bravo! Bravo! Yes, indeed, bravo. Well, well, well…how curious, very curious…"

He put Bryanna's wand back into it's box and wrapped it up in brown paper, still muttering, "Curious…curious…"

"Um," Bryanna said. "What's so curious?"

Mr. Ollivander fixed a stare at Bryanna's face, then looked at the thing under her bangs. Bryanna's mother gave a gasp.

"Is that wand…" she said.

"Yes," Mr. Ollivander said. "This is the wand."

Bryanna looked from Mr. Ollivander to her mother, confused. "Excuse me," she said. "But what about my wand?"

Neither of the adults said anything. "It's nothing, dear," her mother said. They paid seven gold Galleons for Bryanna's wand and she ushered her out of the shop, giving Mr. Ollivander a look that probably said that it was his fault her daughter had gotten that wand. But for what reason, Bryanna still couldn't figure it out.

End Flashback

AN: Okay, I've finally got that part done! xD Now...review, please? Arigato! x3

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	5. Chapter 5: Finding Out About Each Other

Chapter 5: Finding Out About Each Other

_**Chapter 5: Finding Out About Each Other**_

**AN: I'm so sorry for making you guys wait for so long! bows Sorry sorry sorry! Here's the fifth chapter!!  
Read on...**

The crowd outside Bryanna's compartment was chattering as Bryanna shook herself back into reality. Her hands were clenched in a tight fist in her lap, almost drawing blood. Her face was pale, her eyes almost bulging out of its sockets. Jason and the girl were standing in front of her, worry written all over their face.

Bryanna shook her head to clear it. "I'm alright," she told them.

They moved back. The girl introduced herself as Jason's younger sister, Josephine Burtelli. "But everybody just calls me Jo," she said. "You know, since my name is so long?"

Jason nudged her. "Would you like to sit in our compartment?" he asked her.

Bryanna shrugged. "Sure, but I think I come with at least the entire crowd," she joked.

The siblings laughed. "You're funny," Jo said. "Did you know that?"

Bryanna smiled as they walked up the aisles with her stuff. "My mother has told me I can be funny in the most serious of situations," she replied.

They finally reached the Burtelli's compartment. Bryanna stored her stuff on top of the racks above their heads, then the three settled down on the benches and chatted about their families, interests, and where thy lived. Bryanna soon found out that Jason and Jo lived in the countryside, where Jason played Quidditch with their older brother, who was out of Hogwarts already. "But we'll be seeing him at Hogwarts," Jo said brightly.

"Oh?" Bryanna said, surprised. "Why?"

Jason cursed under his breath. "Because he works there as a teacher, I'd forgotten," he muttered.

Jo rolled her eyes. "James isn't that bad," she said.

Jason rolled his eyes. "Oh? Then why did he set off a joke bomb in my bedroom? I had mice running all across the floor for a week!"

Jo and Bryanna burst out laughing. "He did that?" Jo said, wiping tears of laughter out of her eyes. "When?"

Jason scowled. "This summer. The day after we attended Aunt Marie's wedding."

"No wonder Jo-Jo brought me so many mice," Jo said.

Bryanna raised an eyebrow. "Jo-Jo?" she asked.

Jo smiled. "My owl," she explained. Jason named her."

Bryanna laughed. "Well, alright," she said.

Jason sniffed. "Yeah, always blame the older brother," he said to the wall.

Bryanna and Jo giggled. "What's James like?" Bryanna asked, curious.

Jo smiled brightly. "He's got to be the best brother ever! He's funny, really smart, and he cares about everything!"

"What does he look like?"

"He's got, um, amber eyes and light brown hair. It almost looks like he's been flying on his broom all day long," she giggled. "He's about five feet six, I think. Maybe five feet seven."

"And he's a total jerk," Jason muttered under his breath. Jo pelted him with Skittles that she had brought onboard the train with her.

After a while, Jason finally raised his hands in surrender, Skittles stuck in his hair, and Jo sat back, victorious. The door to their compartment opened and Bryanna mentally jumped. Standing in the doorway was the boy from Madam Malkin's shop, Jeff Weasley.

"They're saying that the descendent of the famous Harry Potter is in this compartment," he said. "So that was you?"

Bryanna nodded. "Nice to see you again, Jeff," she said.

He laughed. "Didn't think I'd see you again 'til the Sorting," he said.

Bryanna smiled. "Neither did I."

Jeff looked around. "Hey Jason! How're you doing?"

Bryanna raised an eyebrow. "You know each other?" she asked the boys.

"Yup. We're both in the Gryffindor and the same year, so we were also in the same dorm rooms," Jason explained. "He came over to visit once over the summer. So he literally knows my whole family."

Bryanna saw Jo glancing at Jeff, blushing. She nudged her and raised an eyebrow. Jo rolled her eyes and gave Bryanna a look that said, "As if."

Bryanna looked at her, and kept staring until Jo finally gave in. "Ok, so what if I do?" she said aloud. The boys looked at them like they were crazy, having no clue what the two girls were saying.

Bryanna giggled. She congratulated herself. 'I've just found myself another love project,' she thought to herself. 'I wonder how this one will turn out?'

Ever since Bryanna could remember, her friends had liked others and she had helped them get together. Whenever somebody liked somebody else, Bryanna's friends told him or her to go to "The Matchmaker", their nickname for Bryanna.

Jeff joined the three in their compartment, making their number four. The snack cart soon came to their compartment and everybody got something so they had a bit of everything in the cart.

Bryanna came across a Chocolate Frog Jason had gotten. "They're not really frogs, are they?" she asked.

Jeff looked up. "What, you've never seen a Chocolate Frog before?" he asked.

"No. I live in the city, remember?"

"Oh yeah…"

Jason nudged him quiet. "No, they aren't actually frogs. The chocolate's just shaped like one," he explained.

Jo reached for a Chocolate Frog. "Tell me who you get. I'm still looking for Cliodna and a lot others."

"What?"

"Oh, of course, I forgot—Chocolate Frogs have cards inside of the, you know, to collect—famous witches and wizards. I've got quite a bit, but a lot of them are repeated."

Bryanna opened her Chocolate Frog and found the card. It showed a man's face. He wore half-moon glasses, had a long, crooked nose, and flowing silver hair, beard, and mustache. Bryanna instantly knew who it was, having seen pictures of him in a book her mother had shown her about famous wizards and witches throughout time.

"I've got Dumbledore," Bryanna said.

"Ah, you can keep it. I've got about five of him."

Meanwhile, the two boys had opened a bag of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans and started tasting the flavors, enjoying themselves along the way.

Jason took out a green bean, looked at it carefully, and told Jeff, "I'll bet you its sprouts."

"Oh?" Jeff said. "I'll bet its asparagus."

Jason found another bean the same color and gave it to Jeff. Together, they popped the bean into their mouth. Both made a face. "Blaargh," Jeff said. "You were right. It's sprouts."

Bryanna and Jo, who were watching, burst out laughing. Bryanna opened another bag of Every Flavor Beans and they began to search for a particular bean, after a whispered suggestion from Jo. They finally found the bean they were looking for and grinned at each other.

Bryanna nudged Jo and motioned for her to start. Jo took the hint. "Hm, I wonder what flavor this one is?" she said.

The boys, who were arguing over the flavor of another bean, instantly turned around. "Give us that!" Jason said, snatching the funny gray-colored bean from Jo. They found another one like it and both popped it into their mouths.

Jo and Bryanna watched with amusement as they both grabbed for an empty container and spit the bean out at the same time.

"So how was the bean?" Bryanna asked innocently. "I didn't know you guys liked pepper-flavored beans."

The boys glared at them and put their heads together, plotting, as the girls cracked up and fell on the floor laughing.

They looked up after a while and Jason reached into his carry-on and pulled out a water bottle as Jeff put a bucket of water over the giggling girls' heads. They signaled each other and SPLASH! The girls were soaked from head to toe, soaked thoroughly.

"That's not fair!" Jo said. "We don't know any magic yet!"

Jeff smirked. "So?" he asked.

**AN: Oh wow, this is one reaaally long chapter! . Sorry about that, guys! Anyways, I wanted to clarify some things about Chapter 4…**

**-first of all, the Madam Malkin and Mr. Ollivander are descendents of the ones in the book. It's just coincidence that they act exactly as they're ancestors. Sorry if that caused some confusion! xD  
****Thanks to Mike Destrall for pointing this out to me!**

**Don't forget to review!**

**One Broken Dream**


	6. Chapter 6: Hogwarts Almost

Chapter 6: Hogwarts--Almost

**_Chapter 6: Hogwarts--Almost_**

_AN: Hey everyone! I'm really sorry if this one takes a while to come, I've been busy! :3 Anyways, let's get on with the story! (This chapter is going to be pretty short…heh-heh…xD._

_Oh yeah, and AN's are in italics, btw. So are memories/flashbacks in the story, so yeah._

Bryanna and Jo made the boys leave the compartment while they changed and left them there. They grinned at each evilly and started to chat about their pets, their families, their favorite candy, anything to keep the boys out as long as possible.

They kept talking until a voice said, "We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes' time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately."

Jason and Jeff yanked open the compartment door and threw the girls out, shutting the door behind them. The girls joined the crowd outside and got off the train without them.

They shivered at the same time and wondered where they were supposed to go now. A voice suddenly called, "First years! First years, over here!"

They joined a crowd of fellow first years towards a light shining in the darkness and found themselves with a witch. "Hello," she told the first years once all of them had reached her. "Are we all here?" The crowd of first years nodded. "All right, then," she said. "Come this way."

They walked along a steep and narrow path, slipping and stumbling after her. "You'll be seeing your first sight of Hogwarts soon, just around the corner," the witch said. They turned and the first years "ooh"-ed and "aah"-ed. Bryanna and Jo held hands as they stared in amazement.

The narrow path had opened up suddenly onto the edge of a great black lake. On the other side, perched on a high mountain on the other side, was a vast castle with many turrets and towers, sparkling in the distance.

The witch pointed a finger at a fleet of small boats on the shore of the lake. "No more than four in a boat, now," she informed them.

A pair of boys who looked like twins joined Bryanna and Jo in their boat. They introduced themselves as David and Trevor. "And our own mother gets us confused," the one named Trevor said.

Bryanna looked at the pair. 'If I was their mother, I would get confused too,' she thought to herself. They both had the exact same pair of hazel eyes, light brown hair, and were the exact same height. Their noses' arched in the exact same place and their hair was swept back in the same place as well.

Once everyone was settled, the witch shouted, "FORWARD!"

The fleet of boats moved off all at once, gliding across the lake, which was as smooth as glass. Everyone stared at Hogwarts castle as they sailed nearer and nearer to the cliff it rested on.

"Heads down unless you'd like your head to get hit!" the witch who escorted them yelled when they reached the cliff. They bent their heads and the little boats carried them through a curtain of ivy and into a tunnel, which seemed to be right underneath the castle. They finally came to an underground harbor, where they climbed out of the boats onto rocks and pebbles.

The witch turned around. "I suppose many of you are wondering who I am." She looked around as the first years nodded in agreement. "My name is Professor McMorga. I'll be teaching you guys transfiguration, which some might find extremely hard." They nodded and Bryanna muttered to Jo, "This is going to be a LOONG seven years." Jo started to have a giggling fit. Professor McMorga looked at her and Jo stuck her fist into her mouth to stifle the laughter that was still flooding out.

_AN: Yeah, this was a REALLY short chapter. Sorry! I've been caught up with summer homework (gr…) and I have to finish reading the most boring book ever before Monday! So yeah…sorry!_

_Review, please? I need a song! You know, like the one the Sorting Hat sings each year? (Hey, the Sorting Hat never dies! )_

_Please, please, PLEASE review with a song for me! I'll be checking back Friday afternoon to see what you guys have come up, okay? Good luck to anybody trying!_

_AN continued...: My god, this one really WAS short! I am soso sorry for that! sweat drop No, DONT KILL ME! hides from an angry mob_


	7. Chapter 7: Hogwarts, Finally

Chapter 7: Hogwarts, Finally Chapter 7: Hogwarts, Finally

_AN: Yeah, sorry about making everybody wait for such a long time. I had a weeklong cruise to go to so I didn't have much time for typing…there was no Internet access on the ship unless you wanted to pay for it (which I didn't want to do)!!_

_Okie dokie…here we go! _

Professor McMorga turned once all the students had calmed down and knocked on the door sharply three times. The door swung open almost at once. A tall, black-haired witch stood in the entrance, her no-nonsense figure giving Bryanna the shivers.

"The first years, Professor Allastor," Professor McMorga said politely.

"Thank you, Morgan," Professor Allastor said. "I'll take them from here." She threw the doors wide open. The entrance hall was huge. Bryanna thought she could have fit her entire house and still have more room for half of another. The stone walls were lit with flaming torches that gave off a warm glow. A magnificent marble staircase led them to the upper floors.

Bryanna felt a tug of her hand and noticed that Jo was trying to drag her to where the others where headed. Professor Allastor led them across the flagged stone floor. Bryanna could hear the chatting of hundreds of thousands of voices from a doorway, but she couldn't pinpoint where the voices were coming from. Professor Allastor led them into a small, empty chamber off the hall. The first years stood in a tight knit group, glancing around nervously.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," Professor Allastor told the first years. "The start-of-term banquet will begin soon, but before taking your seats, you must be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony, because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family. You'll have classes with your year mates, sleep in your house dorms, and you may spend free time in your house common rooms.

"For those of you who don't know the four houses, they are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own history, and each had produced outstanding witches and wizards. Be warned, although your triumphs will earn you house points, any rule breaking will lose points. At the end of the year, the house points are counted up and the house with the most points is awarded the house cup, the greatest honor there is. I hope you shall be of credit to each of your houses.

"The Sorting Ceremony will take place in just a few minutes in front of the entire school. I give you a word of advice; stay calm, don't freak out. The Sorting Ceremony has been in this school since the four founders created Hogwarts. None has died in the process."

Professor looked around at them all, eyes meeting everyone else's eyes for a moment, then said, "I shall return when we are ready for you. Please wait quietly."

She left the chamber and closed the door. Bryanna glanced at Jo, whose hands were shaking as Professor Allastor had said her little speech. "Just how _do_ they sort us?" she whispered to Jo.

Another first year piped up, having heard the question. "I think it's some sort of test. My older brother, whose in Ravenclaw, said it hurts. A lot." Murmurs came from the other first years, who had been listening to his answer. "But don't worry," he said hurriedly. "He was joking. I think."

Bryanna shifted nervously. Her head raced with all the spells she had learned from her mother. There wasn't much on her list, only simple spells such as _repairo_ and a spell or two involving cleaning her room. They wouldn't help if she were battling say, a baby dragon or an enchanted table or something. She glanced at the first year who had spoken and saw that her eyes were shining with excitement. She shook her head. 'How can _anybody_ be excited right now?' she wondered.

Bryanna's heart was racing. Her mother had never told her about what the Sorting Ceremony was about, only which house she had been sorted into. Her father had never mentioned anything either, now that she thought about it. "Lovely," she muttered to herself. "I love surprises."

"Yeah, me too." Bryanna looked up and felt her heart flip. Standing in front of her had to be the hottest guy on the planet, looking straight at her. He had almond eyes with small gold specks. She noticed that his eyes sparkled, as if he had just thought of a very funny joke. His light brown hair was a mess, standing up slightly in the front as if he had combed it back a few times just now. He was only a head taller than Bryanna.

Bryanna finally managed to say something. "Um, h-hey."

The boy smiled. Even his smile was cute. "Hi," he said. "I'm Nicolas Li, my friends just call me Nick."

Bryanna looked down. 'Curse my shyness, where did this come from?' she thought to herself, frustrated.

Jo suddenly came to the rescue. "That's Bryanna Parkenson, and I'm Josephine Burtelli, aka Jo."

Nick smiled again. Bryanna was still looking at the floor. "Well, I just came over because I noticed your eye color. It's very unusual, if I say so."

Bryanna nodded at the floor. Before any of them could say anything, the door opened again and Professor Allastor came walking in, arguing with a wizard whose beard was so white, Bryanna could have put it next to snow and she wouldn't have been able to tell the difference.

"But how," Professor Allastor way saying. "Could it not be ready for this year's first years?"

The wizard shook his head. "I've no clue, my dear Athena." For a moment, Bryanna was confused. Wasn't there a Greek goddess named Athena? She looked around for a clue that the goddess was present in the room. When she found none, she looked at Professor Allastor and realized that it was her first name. Oops. "But it seems to be thinking about something."

The two professors continued to argue with each other, not realizing that they had arrived in the room where Professor Allastor had dropped off the first years. Suddenly, she gasped. "Could it be because of…?"

The two looked around and finally noticed that all the first years were staring at them, listening intently. "Oh my," Professor Allastor said.

The wizard looked around and asked Professor Allastor, "Are these the first years?"

"Yes."

The wizard turned back to them and smiled. "Hello," he said. "My name is Professor Silver and I will be teaching your Defense Against the Dark Arts class."

Memory suddenly hit her and Bryanna's mouth dropped. "Silver…Mr. Silver?"

Jo nudged Bryanna to close her mouth. "You know him?" she asked Bryanna.

"He and my dad were friends when they were in school," Bryanna said back. "He comes over for my mom's cooking because he says it's better than what he could make."

Jo giggled at the last sentence and Bryanna, who was trying to remain serious, finally broke and started giggling too.

Professor Allastor gave them an icy glare and the two girls closed their mouths, even if they were still giggling on the inside.

"Come," she said to the waiting first years. "It is time for the Sorting Ceremony."


	8. Chapter 8: Thy Sorting Ceremonry

Chapter 8:

Chapter 8: Thy Sorting Ceremony

_AN: Ooh! I'm finally updating! xD Heehee. Sorry for making everybody wait!_

_I'm also sort of having a writer's block. (Sad, huh.) Anyways, if you read my Author's Note (chapter-like) then you'll notice that if you look back, you'll find it missing. (Uh-oh!) Not to worry! I took it off because I didn't want to take up space (I mean, who does?)._

_To clear up…_

The Sorting Hat Thoughts (Except when they're singing)

_Time to get the show on the road! (Er, book! Get the book on the road! XD)_

Bryanna looked around the Great Hall, mouth wide open. _I'm actually here_, she thought. _I'm at Hogwarts, and I'll be Sorted pretty soon. Oh God, what are we supposed to do?_

Professor Allastor led the first years in a straight line down between two long tables filled with students. Her body began to shake a bit out of fright and she felt Jo shake behind her. Bryanna looked around the hall. It was lit by thousands of candles floating around in the air above four long tables, two on each side of her. The tables were laden with golden plates and goblets, glittering like a thousand suns. Professor Allastor took the first years up to a huge platform, where a long table filled with teachers awaited them. She turned them around when they all got to the platform, so that they all were facing the other older students, the teachers staring at their backs.

Bryanna could hear whispers going around the room. When she heard what they were whispering about, she automatically tuned them out and directed her attention up at the ceiling, which, to her surprise, was showing the black sky from outside, sprinkled with small white stars. One of the first years whispered to the others, "According to _Hogwarts, A History_, its bewitched to look like the sky outside."

The students looked down again when they heard a small cough coming from below.

Professor Allastor stood next to a small four-legged stool and a dirty, ragged tall wizard's hat, which was on the stool.

Bryanna watched the hat with boredom, thinking that maybe you had to pull an animal from it. She looked around and paid more attention to the ragged thing; the older students were all watching it.

She could hear the teachers talking behind her. She even caught a few phrases: "—has never—" "Why this year?" "—the wand?" _What about a wand?_ she thought. _And what's this about our year?_

Professor Allastor stepped to the side and retrieved a long piece of parchment from somebody standing near the edge of the great table. Bryanna saw the students look at each other, confused.

"When I call your name, please step forward, put the Sorting Hat on and sit on the stool," Professor Allastor told the wide-eyed first years. Bryanna could tell that something was wrong. The first years that had known what happened during the Sorting were frowning, while the older students were whispering around the clock.

Professor Allastor gave everybody one look and they all quieted down. "First up, Abernathy, Grace!"

A girl all the way at the other end of the line walked out shaking from head to toe. She walked to the stool, hands in her pockets. She put on the hat, sat down onto the stool, and just sat there for a while.

Suddenly, the hat twitched and came to life—literally. A rip opened near the brim like a mouth and the hat shouted out in a booming voice, "RAVENCLAW!"

The second table to the left cheered and clapped merrily as Grace staggered towards the Ravenclaw table.

"Alexander, Nicholas!"

"RAVENCLAW!"

"Becker, Mark!" A boy with a dark aura around him stepped out of line near Bryanna and gloomily walked to the stool. Before the hat even touched his head, it cried out, "SLYTHERIN!" Bryanna glimpsed a troubled look in his eyes before it was covered by a blank expression.

"Burtelli, Josephine!"

Jo gave Bryanna's hand a squeeze before going up to the stool and putting on the hat.

Everybody waited for what seemed like forever, before Jo finally became Hogwarts' first Gryffindor. The loudest cheering came from the table farthest to the left. Bryanna watched Jo walk to the Gryffindor table and sit next to her brother, and then turned her attention back to the Sorting.

There was quite a few to go. Miranda Cat went to Slytherin, while two twin sisters, Ashley and April Curt were split up, one going into Ravenclaw while the other went to Hufflepuff. Then "Durkforth, Brandon", then "Finnigan, Raven"… and "Inkheart, Robynn." Bryanna's hands started to sweat as her name loomed nearer and nearer. Suddenly, she heard Nick's name called.

"Li, Nicolas!"

Bryanna's jaw flew open as she watched the boy walk coolly to the hat. _His hands must be sweating badly,_ she thought when she noted that his hands were in his pockets.

She watched his back as he sat on the stool and put the hat on. She saw his knuckles turn white as he gripped the side of the stool, before the hat shouted, "GRYFFINDOR!" Nick took the hat off and before he went to the cheering Gryffindor table, he turned, found Bryanna, and winked at her. Bryanna felt her face burn hot. Jo caught her eye and grinned, then mouthed, "Looks like somebody likes each other!"

Bryanna stuck her tongue out and turned her attention back to Professor Allastor.

They were almost there.

"Moon", "Neilson", another "Neilson", "Oaks"…finally, it was Bryanna's turn.

"Parkenson, Bryanna!"

The Great Hall erupted in a volcano of whispers.

"Wait, did Professor Allastor just say Bryanna _Parkenson_?"

"Oh my gosh, I think it's her!"

"They never said she was coming this year!"

The last thing Bryanna saw before the Sorting Hat blocked her view was the sight of thousands of students standing up on the benches trying to get a good look at her. A second later, she was staring at the inky black inside of the hat.

_Ah…Bryanna Parkenson. Knew you'd be coming sometime_, the hat whispered into her ear.

_Um, hello, I guess,_ Bryanna thought back.

Now, let's see what you've got. Hm…difficult. Did I mention that you're very difficult to decide? I see plenty of bravery, oh yes. And wisdom as well.

_Do you think you could answer my question?_ Bryanna thought to the hat, trying not to get her hopes too high.

_Oh, depends on the question, of course,_ the Sorting Hat said calmly.

_Well, all right. See, a lot of people have been talking about 'the wand'. And everyone seems to be exited because I'm the descendent of Harry Potter. Why?_

Ah…the first question, I cannot answer. However, both questions concern that small scar of yours on your forehead.

_My…forehead?_ Bryanna asked, confused. _Oh! That scar? It's just a little scratch from when I fell when I was a baby._

_Not everything is what it seems to be,_ the hat replied.

What?

But before Bryanna could get a good answer out of the hat, it said, _Now, what house should you be in? How about…Slytherin?_

Bryanna was glad he didn't say it out loud. She gripped the sides of the stool while thinking, _No, anything BUT Slytherin!_

Are you sure?

_Yes!_

Very well, then it shall be like your ancestor…GRYFFINDOR!

The Sorting Hat said the very last word out loud for everybody to hear. She gently took the hat off and sat it on the stool, whispering, and "Thanks for sort of answering my question, Mr. Sorting Hat, but I'm not sure what you mean. I'll try to figure it out."

The hat remained silent.

She breathed a sigh of relief of not going into Slytherin, not hearing that the noisiest cheer was being set for her. Jeff and Jason were up and about, cheering at the same time, "We got Parkenson! We got Parkenson!"

Bryanna flopped into the seat next to Jo. "Had a conversation with the hat?" she asked, staring at her golden plate. "You sure took a while."

Bryanna nodded. "Does the hat always not make sense?" she asked Jo.

"I dunno," she answered, still staring at her plate. "Ask Jason." They both looked up to find Jason flirting like mad with one of the other second years. "Or, maybe not?" They both collapsed in a burst of giggles.

"That was unexpected," Bryanna said, still giggling. "Maybe Jeff will do the honors."

"What about me?" Bryanna looked up, up, up to see Jeff looking at them. "Oh god, please sit down Jeff," she said. "You're much too tall." He took an empty seat next to them. "Watching Jason flirt with Sophie was disgusting," he told the girls. "I mean, you can obviously tell she's ignoring him—oh look, she just got up and is walking away."

We laughed as Sophie suddenly sat up and walked to where her other friends were sitting. Jason had such a funny expression on his face that Bryanna, Jo, and Jeff all started to laugh.

"That'll teach him," Jeff and Bryanna said at the same time. They looked at each other, and laughed again. Jo simply rolled her eyes. "You two are sooo immature," she told them. "But that's the fun of being young," Jeff protested. Bryanna just giggled.

Jo shook her head. "And you guys haven't even eaten anything to get high yet."

A wizard wearing a blue wizard hat stood up and raised his hands. The noise instantly died down. Bryanna saw Professor Allastor place the stool and Sorting Hat near the wall, then sit in the chair next to the wizard. Jeff nudged them both and pointed at the standing wizard. "That's the headmaster, Professor Porteus. He's ruled Hogwarts for twenty-nine years without big trouble." They nodded, watching the headmaster.

"Greetings, younglings! Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! I shall save my longer speech for after your tummies have been filled up nicely with the wonderful food that has been prepared for you, so enjoy the banquet!"

_Huh?_ Bryanna thought. Bryanna looked at the empty plates—at least, they used to be empty. Baked chicken, ham, steamed rice, boiled potatoes, roast beef, sausages, steak, peas, carrots, Yorkshire pudding, fries, American hamburgers, ravioli, baked potatoes, pasta, salad, breadsticks, and much more filled the platters in the center of the table. There was even something that looked like peppermint, but Bryanna steered clear of it.

She filled her plate and started on the roast beef. "Oh, that looks so very good," a voice said behind her. She looked up behind her and saw one of the ghosts of the school looking at her food. "Want to try some?" she asked. "Oh, it's not that I won't. It's that I can't eat anything," he said. "I don't need it either, since I'm dead. But one does wish for the sense of taste sometimes."

Jeff looked up to see whom Bryanna was talking to. "Oh, hello Nick!" he said in greeting.

"Good day to you to, Master Weasley. Or should I say good night?" the ghost chuckled. "Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington at your service," he told the staring first years. "Resident ghost of Gryffindor castle."

"Oh, your Nearly Headless Nick!" Jo exclaimed. "My brother's told me about you!"

"'Nearly Headless'? How can you be Nearly Headless?" Bryanna asked.

The ghost looked annoyed. "Like this!" He took his left ear in his hand and pulled. Bryanna was sure it was going to come straight off, but instead, the head stayed on by mere bits of ghostly skin. Flipping his head back up, Nearly Headless Nick said, "Well, new Gryffindors! I sure hope you'll help us win back the House Cup! Slytherin has stolen it back for five years straight!"

Soon, the main dishes disappeared right off their plates. Jeff bit into clean air, about to take a bite of his hamburger. "Darn, they did this last year too!" he said. The plates suddenly filled themselves with desserts, tubs of ice cream in every flavor, apple pies, treacle tarts, chocolate cakes, chocolate éclairs, jam doughnuts, trifles, serbets, chocolate covered strawberries, every fruit in the world, Jell-O, pudding…

Bryanna began to eat a lime serbet, which was closest to her. The talk turned to many different subjects, from their families to all the famous wizards and witches, to the four Houses and their founders, and their teachers, the classes they'd be taking (they had much help from the older students, who told them what they should expect). They talked for what seemed like forever, until the last of the desserts evaporated (Jeff was just about to munch into some chocolate cake) and Professor Porteus stood up again. The talking gradually died down and he smiled at them all.

"Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts, as I've said already. I have some start-of-term notices to give you.

"First years, please remember that the forest in the grounds is absolutely forbidden, unless your detention is being served there with the groundskeeper, Greendorf, and his dog. Some of our older students should be reminded of this as well.

"Mr. Woodruff, the caretaker, reminds you all that no magic is to be used between classes, unless it is out of self defense. And even then, only shields are allowed. No curses, no other spells except for the shield.

"Quidditch trials will be held in the third week of term. Anybody interested in joining their house teams should contact Professor Burtelli for more information on the subject." He looked around at them all.

"Finally, we have thought that this year, we shall do something the Muggle schools have. However, final decisions have not been made. We will notify you four weeks before Winter Break at the most when we come to the decision," the wizard said with a twinkle in his eye.

A wind of whispers went around the students. "Wonder what the Muggle thing is," Bryanna whispered to Jo, who shrugged. "I've never been to a Muggle school, so I don't know," she replied.

Professor Porteus looked around at the students, who paid attention to him once more. Professor Allastor and Professor McMorga were talking quietly, probably about the Muggle event that they might have. _I certainly hope it isn't something_…_weird,_ Bryanna thought to herself. I know the things that Muggles do, since I've been going to a Muggle school for quite a while. Things like Truth or Dare, Spin the Bottle, blind dates, and school dances. There were also more things, but Bryanna didn't want to try to remember more.

In fact, she was starting to get pretty sleepy.

Suddenly, she heard the headmaster say, "And before we all wander off to bed, let's sing the school song!" He took out his wand and gave it a little flick. When nothing happened, he pretended to shake the stick and a single ribbon burst out of the end, rising high above the head table and twisted itself into words.

"Pick your favorite tune, and off we go!" Porteus cried.

The school sang out:

_Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,_

_Teach us something please,_

_Whether we be old and bald,_

_Or young with scabby knees,_

_Our heads could do with filling,_

_With some interesting stuff,_

_For now they're bare and full of air,_

_Dead flies and bits of fluff,_

_So teach us things worth knowing,_

_Bring back what we've forgot,_

_Just do your best, we'll do the rest,_

_And learn until our brains all rot._

Everybody finished off at different times, some finishing off quickly while others sang to slow funeral marches. Bryanna and Jo sand along to the tune of a wedding song, finally finishing way after everybody else was done. Bryanna felt as if they were filling the room with happiness.

The headmaster conducted their last few lines and applauded when the rest of the school did. "Ah…music! Magic we all can do! Now, off you trot! Get to those warm beds of yours!"

The first years followed the Head Boy and Girl to the Gryffindor Tower, passing through hidden passages behind panels and tapestries. She felt annoyed that the people in the portraits seemed to be pointing and whispering about her. _What's there to want to know?_ she thought. _I'm just a normal first year, going to my house._

They climbed the last set of stairs and finally reached a portrait of a very, very fat woman wearing a silk dress in a pale shade of blue.

"Password?" she asked.

"Sliverium Droindosius," the Head Girl—Alexandria—said. The boy pretended to pout. "I thought we agreed that I'd say it?" he told her as the portrait swung open and they all climbed into the Gryffindor common room.

"Oh well, better luck next time," she said wickedly.

"Girls," he muttered under his breath.

"I heard that!" she called back.

"They've got ears like a bat too," he said to the wall. Alexandria directed the boys to their rooms and took the girls to theirs.

Bryanna and Jo found their room and their stuff. The other three girls—there were five beds in the room—soon came in and, too tired and sleepy to talk, changed into their pajamas and soon, all of them were asleep, getting ready for their first day of classes.

AN: Oh my god, this is the longest chapter I've EVER written! (checks again that I didn't only write three) Oh wow!

_Well, I'm about to get into trouble for staying on the computer right now since it's around, ohhh, 1 o'clock in the morning. Which means that instead of August 2__nd__, it's August 3__rd__ right now. (sighs) Gods, I'm sleepy!_

_Even though it was only an Author's Note, thanks to the following person who reviewed for it:_

_HeadWayUpInDaClouds_

_Make sure to visit her!_

_Just a reminder in case I forgot to mention it here, but I've decided that I'd like reviews for every chapter. I'll still post the chapters when I get them done, so you don't have to. But if you do, you'll earn (hears music playing in the background) recognition from me in my AN's! (crickets chirp) Yeah, not much of a prize, huh. Ah well. Review anyways please! _

_Oh yeah, I'm reminding everyone again that I'm deleting the Author's Note (chapter-wise) that used to be known as chapter 8._

_One Broken Dream_

_PS- LOL, I wrote 3,147 words for this chapter! (high fives myself)_

_O.B.D._

_PPS- There was another reason I was putting a PS here, but I forgot it (eh-heh-heh-heh...) so yeah!_


	9. Chapter 9: Potions and Quidditch

Chapter 9: Potions and Quidditch

_AN: OMG! Another chapter! Am I in heaven? When did I even finish this? (Starts wondering and forgets that I'm saying 'Thanks' for the people who are reading this story and are patiently waiting for each chapter)_

"Bryanna? Bryanna! Wake up!"

Bryanna stirred. "What time is it?" she asked, yawning.

"Almost time for breakfast. Get up, lazy butt!" Jo said, laughing. "Hey! That rhymes!"

Bryanna laughed too and got dressed. "What do we have first?" she asked.

Jo shrugged, her black hair falling down her shoulders. "I dunno…wait, did we even get out schedules yet?"

"Oh…no…"

"Then let's go downstairs and get it!"

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

"Don't fall!"

"Bryanna! Watch out for that step!"

"Jo, that's not even a door!"

"Watch out for the coat of armor ahead!"

According to her copy of _Hogwarts, A History_, there were a hundred and forty-two staircases at Hogwarts, wide sweeping ones; narrow, rickety ones; some that led somewhere different on Fridays; some with a vanishing step halfway up that you had to remember to jump. And then there were the doors: some wouldn't open unless you asked politely, or tickled them in exactly the right place, and some weren't doors at all, but solid walls _pretending_ to be doors. And…was that a walking coat of armor? _(Hey, at least Peeves the Poltergeist isn't here!)_

Bryanna soon realized that the classes themselves were going to be hard. Every Wednesday, they studied the night skies and learned the names of different stars and the movements of the planets. Three times a week, they went out to the greenhouses behind the castle to study Herbology, taught by a dwarf-sized witch named Professor Greene, where they learned about all sorts of strange plants and fungi, how to take care of them, and what you could use them for.

Bryanna nearly fell asleep in History of Magic, it being the only class taught by a ghost. Legend had it that Professor Binns had fallen asleep in front of the fire one night and gotten up to teach the next day, leaving his body behind. The class was so boring, Jo had to poke Bryanna on the arm so that she wouldn't put down Emeric the Oddball or Uric the Evil.

Professor Allastor turned out to be their Charms teacher. The moment they sat down in their very first Charms class, she'd given them a talking-to about the class and warned them that chitter-chatter was not allowed in the class. She had pointed at Jo and made her lift off the ground, impressing everyone until they realized that they wouldn't be able to lift anything (or one) off the floor until later that year, if ever.

Everyone enjoyed Defense Against the Dark Arts, where Professor Silver gave them a short lecture about the class and got to know everybody. He warned the class that there was a possibility of getting hurt in his class, and to be careful.

"Don't use the spells you learn in this class just 'for fun'. Using any spell from this class could cause permanent injury on your victim," Professor Silver reminded them right before the bell rang to signal the end of class.

On Friday, Bryanna and Jo finally managed to arrive at the Great Hall without getting lost and arrived earlier than usual as a result.

"Hey, Jo, what've we got today?" Bryanna asked, looking up to see if Wood had brought her anything and pouring milk into her Honey Nuts Cheerios at the same time.

"We get to learn about Potions! With Professor…Professor…um, how do you pronounce that?"

Bryanna looked down at their schedule and frowned at the little print. "Professor…Sha…ga…loss…in?" she said, unsure.

They heard a laugh from behind. "No, no, it's pronounced 'Shaugalassin'," Jeff said. "He's been the Potions Master at Hogwarts for about…seven years now. He's also the head of Slytherin House. You know, dungeons, potions? They pretty much go together." Bryanna and Jo looked at him blankly, questioning looks in their eyes. "Well, you'll get it when you meet him," Jeff assured them.

Jo rolled her eyes. "Right," she scoffed as she reached over to grab a piece of toast. "How do dun—OW! Jo-Jo!" Jeff, Bryanna, and Jo looked down at Jo's Cape Eagle Owl. Attached to its teeny leg was a minuscule scroll, which Jo unattached.

_Dear Jo,_

_How's your first week at Hogwarts? Doing well, I hope?_

_Say, how about you come down to the Quidditch stadium and I'll let you go around on my Nimbus? I know how much you love riding brooms._

_J.B._

Bryanna read the note over Jo's shoulder. "J.B.?" she asked. "Which brother of yours is that?"

Jo thought for a while. "Must be James," she said. "Jason doesn't even have a broom at Hogwarts. I don't see how he's going to join the Gryffindor Quidditch team this year if he doesn't even have a broom."

Jeff suddenly stuck his head between theirs. "Hey, hey, can I come along?" he asked. "James is a good friend of mine."

The two girls shrugged. "Sure. If you can find us," Bryanna said.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Bryanna and Jo quickly ran down to the dungeons, where their first Potions class would begin. By the time they arrived, both were huffing and puffing and the entire dungeon floor was fill with first year Gryffindors and first year Slytherins.

"Hey," Bryanna whispered. "What type of person do you think Professor Shaugalassin will be?" Jo shrugged and started listing the different personalities that their Potions master might have. Her list was cut short when the dungeon door suddenly swung wide open, allowing the first years to catch a glimpse of their destination and their teacher. He had a big, fuzzy beard that covered half his face, streaked with gray hairs. His black eyes swept over their heads and had a dead look to them.

"Come in," he said, stepping back. "Don't knock anything over…first years, after all." Bryanna peeked at him as she walked into the dungeon. She immediately looked forward again. His eyes had such a dead look to them, it was almost as if his soul had died.

Once everyone had been seated, Professor Shaugalassin made a silent inspection of everyone. His eyes slid over the condition of their hair, the color of their eyes, how their face looked, everything.

It didn't look like he was pleased with what he saw.

"Amazing," he said, obviously annoyed. "I'm going to be seeing this group once a week for the rest of the year, excluding holidays. Obviously I'm not getting paid enough to do this." His dead eyes stared at Bryanna for what felt like eternity, making her fidget in her seat, before looking away and watching someone else in the classroom.

"Ridgewood," he said, pointing at one of the first year Slytherins. "What's the difference between monkshood and wolfbane?"

Ridgewood shifted nervously in his chair. "Um…nothing?" he guessed, his voice squeaking slightly.

Shaugalassin started to look annoyed. "Correct. What does it also go by, Helmer?" he asked, this time pointing to a petite blond from Gryffindor sitting near Bryanna, the blond nearly jumping in her seat, her golden curls bouncing.

"Aconite!" she said excitedly.

The Potions Master really looked annoyed now. "Correct," he said quietly. He looked back towards the Slytherin side of the room. "Granham! Where would you look to get a bezoar?"

Granham, a VERY tall boy with pale skin and dark black hair, jumped up. "It's a stone from the stomach of a goat," he said speedily, as if he would forget it all if he paused.

The instructor looked really pissed. "Correct. Burtelli! What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

Jo jumped nearly ten feet into the air. "Oh, my mom told me this! It creates a sleeping potion, also known as the Draught of Sleeping Death!" she said.

Professor Shaugalassin looked like he was about to explode. "Correct again," he said. "Two points each to Gryffindor and Slytherin." The entire class sighed with relief. He looked around and raised an eyebrow. "So nobody was copying that down?" he asked. "Tsk tsk." He tapped his wand against the blackboard behind him and the information suddenly wrote itself onto the board. "Write it down, now!"

There was a flurry of quills and parchment around the room as they all tried to copy it down as fast as possible. Professor Shaugalassin watched them all with a cold eye as they hurried to copy the enormous amount of writing down. Once everyone was finished, he had everyone work on a potion to cure boils. He swept passed everyone, making a comment here and there, warning one of the students when they were about to make a mistake and blow up the potion.

Bryanna and Jo managed to survive the class without another word from the professor and stumbled out of the dungeon an hour later, to their relief.

"I thought that class was never going to end…" Jo said, sighing dramatically.

"It wasn't that bad," Bryanna said, huffing as the two climbed the stairs. "He could have taken points off instead of giving us two for the class."

Jo sighed again. "True, true," she said, as they walked down towards the Quidditch stadium.

_AN: (sighs) I'm done! How is it? Longer than usual, I hope? Since tomorrow was Veteran's Day (we have the day off) I decided to finish and post this chapter. Now to hopefully post another one soon…(daydreams about getting another chapter done)  
__Review please! I need encouragement! I haven't gotten any in a long time…(pitiful look)_

_PS—to those who live in the USA…have a great Veteran's Day and don't forget to pay your respects to those soldiers who helped protect our country!_

_One Broken Dream_


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